Coca-Cola's new citrus drink is green, high in
calories and loaded with caffeine, and the company is betting
millions it can lure young consumers who have made Pepsi's
Mountain Dew one of the hottest-selling soft drinks in America.

Analysts say Surge, the new soft drink
announced Monday, is a gamble, but is worth a shot in a market
where other citrus drinks have fizzled.

"Coke is turning its guns on Pepsi,'' said
Tom Pirko, an analyst with the New York-based Bevmark consulting
firm. "It's looking for any conceivable weakness in Pepsi
right now because Pepsi is going through a transition.''

On the New York Stock Exchange, Coke gained 25
cents to close at $48.12« a share while PepsiCo slipped 12«
cents to $29.

Is Pepsi nervous? Nah.

"Mountain Dew has had a lot of people
trying to compete with it, including Coke,'' said Brad Shaw,
spokesman for Pepsico Inc. "The wide array of wannabes have
all failed to put a dent in Dew.''

"It's going to be tough enough going up
against this brand,'' Shaw said. "This simply makes it more
of a challenge next year for them.''

Surge is made up of several citrus flavors, has
an energy-boosting carbohydrate called maltodextrin and has
roughly the same caffeine and calories as Mountain Dew. The
12-ounce cans also have wide mouths, a first for a Coca-Cola
product.

"We think this will have great appeal,''
said Coca-Cola spokesman Rob Baskin. "It tastes terrific and
it has a wide-mouth so you can drink more of it more quickly.''

Coca-Cola debuts the lime-colored cans on TV
during the Super Bowl next month.

Surge is Coca-Cola's biggest gamble on a soda
brand since its decision in 1985 to replace the Coca-Cola formula
with New Coke, a flop that cost the Atlanta-based company $35
million.